Your veterinarian has just told you that your beloved pet is experiencing kidney failure. What does that mean for your dog and for you as a pet owner as you care for him? Kidney failure means that the kidneys are not functioning properly and are unable to remove waste products from the blood in the body. This does not mean that your pet is unable to produce urine, which is a common misconception. In fact, a dog that has failing kidneys might be producing large amounts of urine, but the body's wastes are not effectively eliminated.
The kidney's primary function in the body is to help to maintain and regulate chemicals in the blood, and is a filtering system for waste products that come through the dog's urine. When the kidneys are not working as they should, the toxins in the blood will not be filtered out. As a result, your dog's survival is threatened by the buildup of toxins and waste in his system.
The size of your dog may give you an idea of when your pet may experience kidney difficulties. Large dogs may begin to have symptoms as early as seven years of age, whereas smaller dogs don't normally experience them until between 10-14 years of age. There are naturally exceptions where dogs much younger than these ages may be affected. It can be a normal part of aging, though, so it is important to watch for signs that your pet is uncomfortable.
What symptoms would you see if your pet has kidney failure or is in the early stages? Your dog may have blood in his urine, be drinking more water than usual (dehydration), vomiting, have loss of appetite, be more lethargic than usual, experience diarrhea, have a stiff gait when he walks, or you may see the condition of his coat diminish. Urination can be a symptom too, but for every dog it is different. They may urinate more than usual, less than usual, or you may see a complete lack of urination.
If you suspect your dog is experiencing kidney failure, take him to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. There are two phases of treatment.
The first phase is meant to kick start the kidneys. Large quantities of fluids are fed to your dog intravenously. At the same time, electrolyte replacement, primarily potassium, is taking place. One of three things will happen after this first phase: 1) The kidneys will function again and continue to do so for a varied amount of time, from weeks to years. 2) The kidneys will function during the treatment, but not after. 3) The kidneys will not function at all.
The second phase of treatment may include a special diet, fluids given at home, and medications. There are even a few veterinary medical sites who offer kidney dialysis for dogs.
Many veterinarians will tell you that your dog could respond well to treatment and could live up to four more years with the proper treatment, and of course, a great big dose of love from you.
Would you give him something that could cause him extreme pain, and eventual death? Of course not!
Chances are though, that you unknowingly feed your pet this poison everyday.
Commercial pet food is killing pets on a daily basis and the government is doing nothing to stop it. With a little research though, you can learn the secrets to prolonging your dog's life and saving him from future pain and suffering.
To understand why commercial dog food is so bad we should begin with what exactly is in the "quality" food you are feeding your loved one.
We will start with the advertised ingredients; prime cuts of beef, chicken, whole grains. What they failed to mention is that those prime cuts of beef are actually the parts that no humans will eat or pieces that are so rotten and diseased that they aren't allowed to feed them to humans.
Those prime cut are also hooves, rectum, intestine, bones, blood and horns. You will also find plastic from ear tags and the packaging used at stores. Why plastic store packaging? It's really quite simple you don't get any money if you throw out rotten meat. O.k., but why the plastic you may ask again? You lose some of the profit if you pay someone to remove the tray and wrap. Plus if you process it enough dogs will still eat it, especially if you cover it in grease.
Ok, the beef is questionable but there is still the chicken and all those whole grains. Right?
True, but the chicken is just as bad as the beef. The only difference is that instead of horns, there are beaks and instead of hooves there are feet. Now, on to the whole grains. The mouldy, contaminated, poor quality whole grains that the companies so lovingly put in the food meant to feed mans best friend. That's the good grains, the whole grains, there are other grains too. Grains that have had everything man might want extracted from them and then we feed what is left to our pets.
Why do this, when we could feed them healthy homemade dog food? You can take charge of what is going into your dog's body and keep the rotten filth out.
Now the title of this article is Kidney Failure in Dogs - Are You Poisoning Your Dog Without Knowing It? So let's talk about your poor dogs kidneys. Kidneys are in the body to remove toxins. If your dog is ingesting rotten food, and who knows what else, imagine how hard his kidneys are working on a daily basis.
Now multiply that over years of being fed the lovely ingredients found in commercial dog food every day. It's surprising that kidney failure in dogs isn't the number one cause of death. It actually amazes me that all dogs fed this lovely "food" don't die within the first year of life!
I could not imagine how bad a person would feel if they ate even a bite of what we make our beloved pets eat daily.
Both Joann Henry & Steven De Gracia are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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